The Guard, the Guarded, and the Guardian
by xxxalchemist
Summary: HPXNaruto NarutoxHP a youngKakashi finds himself in the forbidden forest, and is soon discovered byDumbledore. Kakashi, injured and throughly confused, is ordered to attendHogwarts and protect Harry Potter. But how is his own past tied up in wizard affair
1. Not a Happy Boy

**AN: Sorry I haven't been updating lately. I'm giving up on my other story, but I reread it and decided my writing style was crap. I will either continue it, or rewrite it. I am much more satisfied with this chapter than with the FMA story. I already have ideas for this story too. It is easier to write about Kakashi because his child-hood personality is not described very thoroughly, leaving room for improvisation. I also don't feel as bad tearing him out of character. :P. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. There will not be much stuff about Naruto the series in here too, so you don't need to be into it to read. In fact, it might be better if you don't **

**The Guard, the Guarded and the Guardian**

**Chapter I**

**Not a Happy Boy**

A young boy stumbled through the dark forest. The rain from the previous day's shower dripped off the leaves of the tree as he made is way through scratching bramble and dead branches. The salt from the rain stung in the cuts covering his body. The fight had been difficult, given the dangerous nature of the forest. He'd been sleeping against a tree when the 3 men had attacked him. They didn't see him as a boy, merely a tool for war—which he was—that should be destroyed. He hadn't been sent there to continue the war, merely to be a diplomat for the decisions made for the truce the two hidden villages had been planning to make, apparently the hidden village of fire did not want to go through with the truce.

_Stupid, Stupid! I should've known better than to let down my guard. _

And worse even, during the fight, as he knocked out a second man, the third had grabbed a…. man? out of the forest. Its face certainly had looked like a man's and that was what drove the young shinobi to save it. It wasn't a man, or if it was, the boy would like to know what type of jutsu he used to make his bottom half turn into that of a horse. He frozen, letting the second man drop to the ground, and, as the third brought his kunai closer to the horse-man's neck, used the last of his chakra to chidori the man to hell. The second man had attacked him behing at the same time the man he was running to lashed out wildly to try to protect himself from the killing blow. The result had been one dead man, 2 uncoincess, and a number of deep gashes on his back, arms and chest. Now he was even weaker than before. This forest seemed to be draining him of chakra, and the horse-man had fled before he could ask him about his jutsu.

He just needed to make it to someplace with water, and he could rest. Bleeding, and slowly tiring, he made his way to what he hoped was the edge of the forest, praying that he would not be attacked again. Now he could swear he heard voices coming through the trees. He slowed and listened.

"Albus, I beg of you to put a ward on the forest! Sirius Black is on the loose! And with Harry Potter here, he could easily see fit to use the forest to get in!"

"Without a wand? How could he possibly make it through?"

"I—As Minister of magic I must insist that—"

"No, Minister, if I put a ward on the forest many of its inhabitants will die, and will not have their deaths on my hands, or that of our good school."

_Magic? Wands? What the hell are they talking about? Is it some sort of code?I've never heard of a school around here too. If there was it would probably have been destroyed, this is right between the territory boundaries._

"I—Alright, I will not further pester you on this for the moment, but if Black uses the forest, I will have to insist."

"Thank you for your… Generosity, Minister."

There was the sound of feet on grass moving away from where he estimated the two men to be.

"Now, if I may deal with my second guest this evening…"

The boy felt his feet yanked up from under him and was pulled out, hanging upside down by nothing, into the open air. An old man smiled, twinkling up at him.

As the man opened his eyes to gaze upon the boy he looked truly surprised at his state, and lowered him to the ground. The young shinobi pulled himself up into a one-kneed kneel, one elbow resting on each knee.

"Why were you in the forbidden forest? And how did you make it through?"  
The boy hesitated, not knowing if he should tell the truth.

"I was sent by Sarutobi Sandaime Hokage- samma."

"Yes, I know of him."

The boy looked up, surprised. The man was smiling at his.

"Any friend of the Hokage is a friend of mine, however, I would be pleased to know your name."

"…I cannot tell you until I confirm your friend ship with Hokage-samma."

"I understand. I am Professor Dumbledore." The old man stated as he brought out a gold coin. It began to glow.

"_HmM?" _sounded the rough voice of the third.

"Ah, Sarutobi-san, I have one of your fine men here."  
"_Dumbledore! It's been a while! How are you, and how is your school?"_

"Less that well actually, a convict—Sirius Black—is on the loose and after one of my students! As of right now, however, that student has not arrived. The thing which I have called upon you for is the fact that a young boy sits here, in front of me, claiming to be sent by you, my friend."

"_Kakashi?"_

The boy was even more surprised. What was this method the man was using to talk to the Hokage?

"Sir." Kakashi confirmed.

"_I am deeply sorry, Dumbledore, I fear the truce between our land and the land of fire was ended abruptly, and left Kakashi-kun to wander through the forest."_

"It is quite alright on my end, Sarutobi, but young—Kakashi was it—seems to be injured."

There was a brief pause on the Hokage's end.

"_I must, then, ask a favor of you Dumbledore. Would it be possible for you to help the boy for now? He will the return to the forest and eventually return when there is a team spare to get him safely back."_

_"_It is of no weight to me, my friend, I would be happy to Help this boy, and I would, In fact, like to take him into my school to teach him, as he seems to have some power about him. I would therefore like to propose a deal"

"…_Yes?"_

_"_I will teach him magic if you will have him guard this student in danger—Harry Potter. I will understand if you refuse. You must know of how dangerous Sirius Black can be."

_"I do, yes. However, I will accept this deal. Hatake Kakashi, your mission is hereby changed to the protection of Harry Potter, and the research of magic for our Village, Mission Rank A."_

The loss of blood was making him light-headed, and a little annoyed with the whole situation. He had been told not to wear the over mask for this mission, and now he regretted leaving it as he was forced to begin a new mission. Worst of all he would not be able to help in the war. He had felt guilty enough for not being there in time to save Rin. Now he would sit on his but in a castle and each day receive news of comrades now dead that he could have been there to save. Instead He was on babysitting duty. Kakashi frowned beneath the cloth mask. This did not seem like a Rank A mission, but it must be if the Hokage had assigned to an ANBU operative. He could see the giant castle that served as a school loom over him and this man—Dumbledore.

"I will do my best, Hokage-Samma."

"_I know you will, Kakashi." _There was a crackling sound and the glow disappeared.

"Well then, Mr. Hatake, Shall we get you back to the Castle?"

Kakashi stood up. The world seemed to spin around him, and he felt the ground hit his knees.

_Or is it the other way around?_

And darkness closed in.


	2. Pins and Needles

**AN: I'm sorry; I meant to write that I MAY be continuing the FMA story, but for now it's on hiatus. I'm not really pleased with this chapter. I don't think Kakashi's in character. I hope you enjoy anyways.**

**Chapter 2**

**Pins and Needles**

Kakashi opened his eyes. Then he quickly closed them. There were two things wrong here. First of all, he was lying in a bed, and his head hurt like hell. Second of all, his sharingan was not covered, causing half his newly restored charka to be consumed.

Eyes closed, he sighed. This always happened when he was put in the hospital. People didn't think before taking off his headband and mask. This time the mask was gratefully in place. It had also been repaired, and cleaned.

He opened his black eye and peered around. There was his headband on the table next to his bed, lying on top of his clothes, which also seemed so have been fixed. There were signs hanging on the walls warning him to "BE CAREFUL OF HAIRY SCALLED FLINKERS," because there was some kind of disease going around.

_Ah, Yes I'm in that school. This must be the infirmary._

There was a slightly flustered woman waddling towards him.

"Oh, my dear, I'm glad you're awake. Albus has told me to get you up and ready, _despite _the fact that I _told _him you should not be out of bed yet! You are to get your school supplies today, and start your back-lessons." The words seemed to tumble out of the woman's mouth without any sign of stopping.

Kakashi blinked the one eye. Then he swung stiff legs over the side of the bed. He pulled on his headband first and adjusted it over the sharingan. Then he bowed slightly to the woman who bustled off to fetch something. He closed the curtains around his bed and, after removing the paper-thin hospital garment, dressed himself. His pack full of ninja-gear was there too. He tied it to his leg as usual.

Sitting down on the bed he rubbed his temples. The headache was not going away, and the smell of antiseptic was not making any better. Sighing, he stood again and opened the curtains.

"Eat this, dear."

A platter of toast and eggs was shoved into his hands. Hesitantly he pulled down his mask, covering his mouth with one hand and holding a piece of toast in the other, he nibbled on the toast.

There was a loud creaking of hinges and a pair of familiar horn-rimmed glasses entered the room. It was the man from last night.

"Hello, Kakashi, it is good to see you much healthier than last night."

Kakashi merely nodded in response.

"We have only a few days until the school year begins, so I am afraid that I must pull you away from Madame Pomfrey's care earlier than she would recommend. We must leave, now for Diagon alley, and the beginning of your mission. We'll be traveling by flu powder."

With that Dumbledore walked over to a fireplace and dumped a small packet of powder he's been carrying into the flames. They burst into green light.

"Now, if you will step into the fire."

Kakashi looked at him dully, trying to figure out if he was joking or not.

"Kakashi, I assure you this is completely safe. It is 'magic' which is quite similar to your 'jutsu.' This is what you will learn to control here at Hogwarts."

Kakashi stepped into the fire. The flames did not burn. Instead there was faint, tingling sensation crawling up his legs.

"Now say 'Diagon Alley.'"

"Diagon Alley." The flames swirled around him, and pulled him roughly up into the air. It seemed like it took hours for the sickening spinning to finally begin to slow. When it did, he instinctively adjusted his feet to land on the floor. As a result he landed, if not gracefully then at least up right. His feet banged harshly onto the hearth nearly making his still weak knees give out beneath him. He stumbled forward just in time for Dumbledore to eloquently pad down onto the spot where he had just been.

"Ah, I see that you handled flu powder well! My first time using the stuff, I flew right out of the fireplace and into a rack of potions. It took quite a while to clean up the mess, and even longer to remove the warts that one of the potions inflicted on me."

Either Dumbledore was mad, or the young shinobi gave a small smile underneath the dark mask. Of course, it could very well have been both.

"Eh, Dumbledore-san, what—how will I be getting my things if I have no money."

"There is no need to worry, my boy, Sarutobi and I have worked something out. The first things we must get are your robes. I know you will object to the dysfunctional manner of them. However, I will allow you to keep on you mask and headband, as well as wear your normal clothes underneath."

Kakashi sighed, but followed Dumbledore without complaint.

The woman, presumably Madame Malkin judging by the shop's name, had poked him several times with needles and pins. She could not seem to remain focused while staring at his strange clothes and hair. About the tenth time he'd asked if "There was some way in which he could help her to tailor the robes without poking him with pins." She'd flushed and finished the job in a hurry, ushering him out of the shop with an apology.

They then proceeded to the bookshop, where they bought his schoolbooks, as well as the books from the three previous years he had missed. Dumbledore instructed him to try his best to at least learn the basic first year material before the beginning of the year in three days.

After buying a cauldron, scales, and various ingredients for potions, they made their way to the shop called "Ollivander's."

He stepped into the dusty shop, coughing on the musty scent. The place smelled like ashes, water and a remnant of… pumpkin pie? A white-haired man came out from a back room rubbing what appeared to be... yes, pumpkin pie off of his shirt.

"Ah, Albus, how good to see you." By the tone of his voice he was not surprised at all. "And who is this?"

"_You already know, don't you?" _Kakashi wanted to ask.

"This is Kakashi Hatake, he will be attending Hogwarts this year. We were hoping you could find him a wand."

"Of course, of course. Hold out your wan—dominant arm." Kakashi lifted his right arm. He could write with both, but the Sharingan put his left in his blind spot when his eye was covered. Immediately, tape measures sprung into action, measuring even the length of his earlobe. He watched them curiously. He was beginning to get used to this magic, and was intrigued. At least he would be able to learn about it while he was on this miserable mission. "Try this one, Maple, unicorn hair core, very good for conjuring." Kakashi flicked it experimentally. A pumpkin pie fell out of nowhere and landed on Dumbledore's head. That explained the smell. "Yes… that wand seems to like pumpkin pie a lot… Try this one, ash, dragon heartstring, good for offensive magic." This time thousands of scarecrows appeared out of thin air and filled the shop. Kakashi sighed beneath a particularly large scarecrow; this was going to be a long few hours.

_Swish BAM EEAAGeaangyangyangyang _

The wand—Holly, with a phoenix feather core—shot out Kakashi's hand and twanged into the wall behind Ollivander's head.

"Well, it is definitely not that one." The weathered old man stated perfectly calmly. "Hmm..."

He seemed to consider the boy for a moment before retreating into the back room. Kakashi let his arm flop back to his side. It was getting on towards dusk, and he really wanted to get started on reading through the wizarding books they had just bought. Dumbledore was standing there, peacefully, flipping through a book titled "Flubber Worms Throughout the Ages." Finally Ollivander returned with yet another dusty old box that presumably contained a wand.

_How much longer is this going to take. _He took the proffered wand without even bothering to look at it. As soon as his calloused fingers touched the smooth wood a soft, blue light encircled him. He felt his chakra begin to gather in the still sore places from the previous day's ordeal. When the light disappeared so did the soreness.

"That's a very powerful wand that's chosen you Mr. Hatake. It is made of white ash and has the fang of the white werewolf as a core."

The young shinobi remained silent, and finally examined his new wand. It was white, with a silver handle inscribed with hieroglyphs he could not understand.

"Kakashi-kun, you may go back to the Leaky Cauldron and begin your studying. Ask the bartender—Tom— for a room. I will take care of the bill."

_He just wants me to go so that he can ask Ollivander about my wand. I'd like to know to… but an order's an order. I have no choice. _He left the shop without a word.

"What is it about the wand that makes it his?" Dumbledore asked smilingly.

"It—" Ollivander started hesitantly. "It was the only one that was not afraid of him."

"Afraid?" Repeated Dumbledore.

"Yes. They were afraid of him. Only time will tell why I suppose."

The golden pieces exchanged hands with a worried nod on each side.

An entire day wasted. Kakashi slouched in the chair in the room he was temporarily staying in. He managed to finish and memorize the first year charms book in the past two hours, but he was going to need more time than that to memorize the books on potions and transfiguration. It was easy to remember mindless movements and word, but harder to remember formulas and laws.

He decided to try the first charm he had memorized.

"Wimgardium Leviosa." The potions book floated gently into the air. Well, at leas he knew that memorizing all of this wasn't useless. He _could _do magic.


	3. Gomenasai

**Chapter 3**

**Gomenasai**

An entire day wasted. Kakashi slouched in the chair in the room he was temporarily staying in. He managed to finish and memorize the first year charms book in the past two hours, but he was going to need more time than that to memorize the books on potions and transfiguration. It was easy to remember mindless movements and word, but harder to remember formulas and laws.

He decided to try the first charm he had memorized.

"Wimgardium Leviosa." The potions book floated gently into the air. Well, at leas he knew that memorizing all of this wasn't useless. He _could _do magic. Sitting back down at the desk, he made it through ¾ of the potions books before falling asleep, his face stuck to the densely typed pages.

**Time lapse! Unless you like reading about sleeping.**

It was morning. He lifted his head off the book and rubbed his now thoroughly stiff neck. A soft knocking came at the door. He opened it and stared into the smiling face of Dumbledore. "Good morning my boy! I have a few instructions for you before I must go to attend to Hogwarts. I have found out that Harry Potter is here, in this very inn. If you come across him, you are to introduce yourself by name. However, I must ask that you do not reveal yourself as a ninja. You are to stay undercover until the time is right. Tell him that you are an exchange student from Japan. Sarutobi has informed me that you will be able to learn the contents of the 1st and 2nd year books before the school year begins. I am sorry to ask so much of you."

"It's not a problem." Said Kakashi inspecting the man as if looking for some clue as to why he though Kakashi needed to be told all this.

"This—" started Dumbledore pulling a small pouch "is yours to use here until the school year begins. Do not, under any circumstances, leave Diagon Alley."

"Thank you for your generosity." Replied Kakashi coolly as he took the small clinking bag of coins.

Dumbledore smiled and with a sudden _CRACK! _He was gone. The ANBU stood there for a moment longer before returning to the desk and finishing reading the potions book. By noon, he had finished all of the 1st year books, the 2nd year charms book, and had begun upon the 2nd year potions book.

_Meeergleeeerrrrrrrrrrrrr_

When had he last eaten? Ah, yes, the piece of toast the previous morning. He hadn't been given explicit permission to use the money left over from his books to buy dinner, so he hadn't eaten. Well, now he had permission. He picked up the potions book, slid the pouch of money into the ninja pouch still tied to his leg, and made his way down the creaky stairs and into the tavern hall.

"What'll ye be havin'?" asked the man he now recognized as Tom.

"Eto…Do you have Ramen?"

"Rah-Man?" The bartender echoed uncertainly.

"I'll have a turkey sandwich then." The bartender nodded, this order was easier to understand. He then hurried off towards the counter.

In the twenty minutes it took for his food to come he finished his potions book. When the food came he slid down his mask, covering his mouth with his hand again and chewed carefully on the sandwich. The bartender was watching him.

"That's a mighty strange way of eating you've got there' m'boy"

Kakashi merely shrugged. After standing there for a few more moments, watching him, Tom wandered off. He finished his sandwich. Then he left the due money on the table and returned to his room to get a few more books to read. Then he sat at a table just outside and read through the rest of his second and third year books.

**Time lapse! Unless you like reading about reading!**

It was around five o'clock when he'd finished. As he shut the last book and added it to the pile a loud yell came from around the corner.

"You _bought _that monster?!" The redhead exclaimed in disbelief as he rounded the corner. The bushy-haired girl answered him, beaming,

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?"

"Hermione that thing nearly SCALPED me!" the boy complained, rather over dramatically. Next to him walked a skinny boy with black hair. The trio stopped at the table just in front of his.

"Harry!" the freckled man addressed the black-haired boy. "How are you?" By the look's of him he was the red-headed boy's father.

_Harry… is this the one I'm supposed to protect?_

"Fine, thanks."

The brown haired girl seemed to notice Kakashi. Her forehead creased perplexedly as she looked at his masked face, but she had seen the pile of books, and walked slowly over to inspect them. He sat silently as she leaned over and read the titles one by one. Then she spoke.

"Hi, are you going to Hogwarts this year?"

He nodded.

"I don't think I've seen you there before."

"I'm an exchange student from Japan. I'll be going into 3rd year." He said smoothly. This girl was rather rude, and she seemed to find him suspicious.

"Really? My friends and I are 3rd years too. We'll be classmates I guess." He friends walked over to join her. "I'm Hermione Granger. This is Harry Potter and Ron Weasly" she gestured toward each boy in turn.

"Hi. Sorry about Hermione, she gets a little excited over books." Said Harry

Kakashi forced a smile. He was no longer used to doing so, but he needed to get to know this Harry Potter. "It's a pleasure to meet someone who loves books so much. My name's" there was a split second pause as he remembered to say his name before his family's "Kakashi Hatake."

"So you're going into Third year?"

"Yeah"

"Do you know what house your going into?"

"House?"

"…You'll see. I just hope you're not in Slytherine, we're all in Gryffindor."

Yet another redhead walked out of the tavern.

"Harry. How nice to see you"

"Hello, Percy" said Harry, laughter barely concealed in his voice as he shook the older boy's hand.

Two more Redheads ran outside. The first one elbowed Percy to the side and bowed deeply to Harry

"Simply _splendid _to see you old boy—" he started, the sentence was continued by his twin who broke in

"Marvelous, absolutely spiffing."

A plump woman with the same red hair followed them out.

"That's enough now."

"Mum! How really corking to see you—"

Kakashi liked these two, despite their disobedience. They reminded him of the fourth's mischievous nature.

"I said that's enough. Now who is this new friend of yours Harry?"

"His name's Kakashi Hatake, Mrs. Weasly. We've only just met. He'll be going into third year as well."

She turned to address Kakashi. "Oh my you're skinny! You should really eat more, my dear! You must have dinner with us then!"

He thought about refusing her offer, but the sooner he could learn about his charge and his friends the better so he said.

"I would be honored if you would allow me, Mrs. Weasly"

"Oh, dear, you're so polite!"

"Mum! It would be my honor as well!" cried Fred

"Yes, It would simply be my _pleasure!" _finished George.

Mrs. Weasly scowled, and walked back inside the tavern where three tables had been put together for their use. The Weaslys, Hermione, Harry and Kakashi sat down to their meal.

Kakashi covered his face with his hand once again. Everyone looked at him strangely.

"Oi, Kashi" Kakashi nearly winced at the use of his old nickname "how come you cover your face like that?" Asked Fred.

"Got something to hide?" inquired George.

"It's—it's a family tradition."

There was an uncomfortable pause in the conversation. It then continued in an awkward burst of interruptions as they tried to make it seem as if the exchange had never occurred.

**Hermione POV:**

As the others chattered on Hermione inspected the newcomer. It was strange, by his clothes he looked like he was ready for battle. He wore a sleeveless turtleneck shirt, the blended seamlessly with his mask, which was crumpled down beneath his chin. He wore tight-fitting blue gloves that stopped half way up his bicep under white arm guards. The gloves had a metal plate sewn on to the back. A light colored pouch was tied to his leg with bandages. His left eye was covered with a bandana that matched the color of his gloves and also had a metal plate attached. The metal plate was inscribed with a symbol unfamiliar to Hermione. His other eye was obscured by a shock of his strangely white hair. She wondered idly if he had dyed it.

She had seen his shoulders tense when Fred had called him "Kashi." Was that just with annoyance at the disrespect towards his name? No, it hadn't seemed like it. When he finished eating he carefully pulled up the mask, allowing no time for her to even catch a glimpse of his face.

_That's a pretty strange family tradition. Speaking of which, shouldn't his parents be here? Did he just travel here alone?_

She wouldn't ask him, just yet. The first question's outcome had been awkward enough and, to tell the truth, she was a little afraid of this newcomer. There was a tap-tap sound coming from the window behind them. She got up and opened the window to let the owl in. it flew over to the table and landed on Kakashi's plate. He calmly pulled the message off the bird's leg and read faster than even she could… Yes just a little scared…

"S—So, what does it say?" she asked tentatively.

"It's from Professor Dumbledore. I am to go to King's cross with you." He passed the letter to Mr. Weasly.

"How _will _we be getting to the station tomorrow, father?" asked Percy.

"The ministry will be lending us cars."

"Why would they do that?"

"They—Well I work there after all why wouldn't they do me that favor?" Hermione could tell he was keeping something from them.

She didn't push it anyways.

After dinner they went upstairs for a goodnight's rest before the first day of school.

Yes.. just a little frightened...and intrigued.

**Time Lapse! Unless you like reading about being uncoincess.**

Kakashi woke up late, but most of the things he had were already in his trunk and the few things he had brought with him were not difficult to shove in. He set the books carefully at the bottom of the trunk and slammed it closed. Pulling it out the door he nearly tripped down the stairs in his hurry.

"Hurry up, Kakashi! We're going to be late!" complained Percy, clearly annoyed.

"Gomenasai" Percy gave him thoroughly confused and thoroughly pissed off look.

"I mean sorry." Percy merely scowled. The "car ride" seemed like it would never end. These cars bumped along the roads and went faster than even the Hokage could run in his youth. It made his stomach churn. He was infinitely grateful when they finally stopped at King's Cross Station. When he was told to go through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 he did so without complaint. Nothing could surprise him anymore.

He heard Mr. Weasly say "Harry, could I speak to you for a moment?"

Well, It would be silly and conspicuous if he waited for him. He made his way up onto the train and all the way to the back. There was a man slumped in his seat, sleeping. His briefcase read "Professor R.J. Lupin". Well, he didn't mind the company. After a long time the train began to move. He wondered vaguely if he should try to find Harry. He did not wonder for long, though, because Harry opened the car door looking thoroughly angry as he entered. Hermione and Ron look upset as well.

"I swear if Malfoy makes one more crack about my family—"

"Ron!" Hissed Hermione "That's probably the new DADA teacher!" but the man was fast asleep.

The three sat down and chattered for a bit. Kakashi merely starred out the window, watching the rain trickle down the glass. Eventually the train began to slow.

"Great I'm starving. I want to get to the feast…" Ron said, standing up.

"We can't be there yet, so why are we stopping?" Asked Hermione.

Kakashi was the first to feel the chill begin to encompass the train. It came to a stop with a jolt. The lights went out throwing them into complete darkness.

"Ouch! Ron, that was my foot!" Ron made his way over to the window as Harry sat back down and looked out the window.

"There are some people coming on board." Said Ron.

The compartment door opened and a small, pudgy boy fell over Harry's legs.

"Hullo, Neville." Said Harry, pulling the boy up.

"I'm going to go talk to the engineer" said Hermione's voice from the door.

"AAhk!"

"Hermione?"

"Ginny?"

"I was looking for Ron—"

"Come in and sit down—"

The chill was traveling up Kakashi's spine and he stood up, suddenly

"QUIET!" A hoarse voice sounded. Professor Lupin stood and ignited his wand. He said "Stay where you are." The door slowly slid open.

There was the rattling sound of the creature standing there taking a deep breathe in. The cold already spreading inside him seemed to overtake him. He vaguely felt a thump as a body hit the floor, but he was too immersed in the screams in his own head

_Rin! RIN! _

Blood boiled in front of his eyes, countless old friends fell in front of his eyes, rolled up into the back of his head.

_NO! NOT AGAIN! OBITO! SENSEI! RIN! FATHER!_

**AN: Sorry for the cliffy. Next chapter is coming really soon. This is the part I've been waiting to write. I think I have a thing for Angst. :P**

**R & R please!!!!**


	4. Lightning and tea leaves

"—shi, Kakashi!" Who was it this time? No! Don't think about it… "Kakashi!" Was it Obito, asking him to protect Rin? He had failed him. There was rumbling under him. It was probably caused by the heavy footsteps of the Kyuubi, coming to kill him too

_ Let it hurry… let it hurry…_

"KAKASHI!"

His eyes finally shot open, ready for the worst. Ron's worried face peered down at him. He was slumped against the wall of the compartment, one arm held up to Obito's eye, clawing at the forehead protector. They were moving again. He stared blankly back. Then he sat up. Taking in his surroundings he noticed Harry, also sitting on the ground.

…What kind of Shinobi was he?

"You okay, Kakashi?" Ron looked at him as if he was some diseased animal that, if one got to close, would be contagious.

"Yeah…what happened?"

"That thing was a dementor. They're searching for Sirius Black. Here, eat this, it'll help." Said Lupin, proffering a chunk of chocolate to each boy. "I'm going to go talk to the Engineer." With that he left.

"Who was screaming?" Harry asked. Kakashi winced, the rest of the car look at Harry worriedly.

"No one was screaming, Harry" said Hermione, gently.

"Did you hear someone, Kakashi?"

"I—" He swallowed

"It looked like you were trying to claw out that eye, mate." interrupted Ron. Kakashi looked away. Ron looked back at Harry "I thought you two were having a fit or something… Harry just went rigid and fell of his seat."

**Harry's POV:**

It had been scary for them, he could see. He probably would have been afraid too if Ron had just fallen off his seat like that…. He hadn't gotten an answer from Kakashi. Had he heard the screaming? It had taken longer for Ron to wake him up too. He had sat up, watching the other boy. His arms had been trembling, reaching toward the covered eye, his legs kicking out as if to push himself away from something terrible. Had he heard the screaming too? It was frustrating that he couldn't get an answer. It was even more frustrating to think that the boy might know what had happened and not tell him. He wanted to know why they had been the only one's to react like that. He wanted an excuse that would take away the shame slowly growing in the pit of his stomach.

"You know, that chocolate isn't poisoned." said Lupin, coming back inside of the compartment.

The students hesitantly began to chew on the chocolate he'd given to them. As soon as he bit into the chocolate warmth spread all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes, is everyone alright." They all nodded, as his eyes ran over them.

They didn't talk much after that. When they got to the station he wobbled to the first carriage and sat down heavily on the seat closest to the window. Hermione and Ron got in after him, looking worried. Kakashi began to follow them, but stopped just outside the doorway. He was starring at the place where horses would be on a regular coach. There was nothing there.

"What are those things?"

"What things? There's nothing there." Answered Ron irritably. Kakashi looked at him pensively for a moment and stepped into the coach. The ride passed in silence. Harry still felt weak, so Kakashi probably felt similarly fatigued. He looked at the boy. His eyes were trained upon the window behind Hermione's head, looking out at what, Harry could only presume, were invisible horses. Something didn't sit right with him about this strange boy.

When they stepped into the castle Professor McGonagall bustled up to them. "Potter, Granger! I want to see you in my office."

**Regular/Kakashi POV:**

The Hermione and Harry walked of, following Professor McGonagall. Kakashi and Ron walked to the great hall in silence.

When they reached the big doors Ron reluctantly turned his head to face Kakashi.

_Great, he already doesn't like me._

"Do you know where you're supposed to go to be sorted?" He shook his head.

"Are you the new student then?" A nasal voice sounded above him. He turned around and nodded to the greasy-haired professor. It disconcerted him that he hadn't sensed the man coming. That thing—the dementor—had thrown his senses out of whack.

"Then come with me." The man grabbed him around his wrist and pulled him towards a room just behind the great hall. He could have easily avoided the man, but why bother? It was important to know that he could have. And he could… right?

"You will go in through the back door when your name is called." He nodded again. He was ANBU it didn't matter if he didn't understand.

About five minutes later he hear Professor McGonagall's voice Call out "Hatake, Kakashi." He stepped out into the large room. All eyes were fixed on him.

_Just like the Chunin exam_ he mused. He sat down on the three-legged stool McGonagall pointed to. He had to resist the urge to dodge when she place the musty old hat on his head

_Oh my, what a mind I have here! _Kakashi did not start at the sudden voice.

_I take it you sort me into my house?_

_Yes, you are a sharp one…_

_Sort me into Gryffindor. I need to be in Gryffindor to complete my mission._

_That has nothing to do with me, my boy… Still you have the loyalty and courage of a Gryffindor. Yet you are extremely intelligent like a Ravenclaw and…. While your ambitions have been destroyed you are still very cunning like a Slytherine. I am afraid you are not very humble…_

Kakashi gave a snort. That sounded like something Obito would say.

_Gryffindor please, or I will be forced to shred you._

The hat gave a chortle. _Yes, you are very loyal, especially to your Hokage._

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouted out.

He took off the hat and put it on the stool. Then he made his way over to the red and gold table, where Fred and George were waving over-enthusiastically shouting,

"It's our honor, Mr. Hatake!"

"Yes, Yes, it is simply _splendid_ to have you with us!"

He forced a grin beneath the mask. The worst part about this mission was having to interact properly with people. To be an ANBU you weren't required to have any particular level of mental health. If they did he wouldn't be one right now. You weren't mentally healthy when you just wanted your life to end.

"Well, that seems to be everything of importance! Let the feast begin!" He heard the voice of Dumbledore ring out behind him. As he sat down across from the twins, the plates and goblets filled with more food and drink than he had ever seen before.

_Wow… food. _It was impressive, to be sure, but he was too engrossed in his own thoughts to really care.

When the feast was finally over Harry and Ron led the way up to their dorm. He sat down on his bed with a sigh. He was very tired, but somehow could tell he wouldn't sleep well. He undid the bandages securing his side pouch and the ones around his ankles and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

After closing the curtains on his four-poster he slid off his gloves and flexed his sore palm. His hand was still healing from his first attempt at raikiri. When Rin had died he'd recklessly used his new jutsu against the kyuubi. It, of course only served to give him burnt fingers and a few broken ribs when one of the giant nine tails flicked him through the air like a fly. Yeah… Like he could do anything.

Even a "genius" couldn't do a thing.

Finally he untied the forehead protector and poked the unscarred hand out through the curtains and laid it and the gloves on his bedside table beside his wand and ninja pouch. Soon he could hear the snores of all of his roommates.

**Time lapse, because I say so…**

"Morning" yawned Ron as he made his way down to the Gryffindor table where Kakashi sat, his plate empty.

"Ohay—Good morning Ron." He really needed to get used to using this language soon.

Ron sat down and groggily began to swallow sausages and orange juice. After a while devoid of any conversation unless you include the appreciative slurping sounds Ron made, Harry came and sat beside him.

"I grabbed our schedules, we're all together, Divination first."

"mrrr… I muonder aht uh eacher'fth ike" (translation "I wonder what the teacher's like") asked Ron through a mouthful of eggs.

"It says Professor Trelawney."

"We'll just have to see, huh?" answered the shinobi, watching Ron in fascination.

Hermione came and sat down across the table.

"'Ermione, let me see your schedule" demanded run, now finished chewing. He snatched the paper from her. "You have 3 classes just first period! I know you're amazing and all, but that's not possible."

"I worked it out with Professor McGonagall."

"'Ermione, even you can't be in more than one place at a time!"

"I worked it out!"

The four remained silent for a while, until it was time for class. They then made their way up to the tallest tower, where divination classes were held.

The moment he stepped into the room, Kakashi nearly gagged. The place was over whelmed with the scents of incense, perfume and teas and the combination made his sensitive nose feel like it was going to explode. Nevertheless, when the trio sat down he calmly sat down with them.

"You okay, mate?" asked Ron.

He nodded "the smell in here is just kind of overbearing"

"I'll say," muttered Harry.

Finally the rest of the class began to file in. Professor Trelawney began the class with an airy lecture on the "art of divination" and set the group to reading each other's tealeaves.

Hermione and Kakashi swapped cups as did Ron and Harry.

"I see... Ants, so... you may have impending difficulties… wait, or is that a beagle?" Hermione puzzled over his teacup.

He smiled wanly behind the mask and looked into her teacup

"I see… a closed book… so you will have a question that you want answered." Ron snorted.

"When does she not?"

"Well, why don't you tell use what's in Harry's future then" Hermione said, huffily

"Uh… there's a kinda blob- like thing… it could be a… bear so you're gonna have bad luck and then… there's a hat.. So you're gonna have bad luck, but then your gonna get prosperity."

Harry began to laugh at that, which caused Professor Trelawney to leave her task of keeping Neville from breaking yet another teacup and come over to snap

"Let me see that" she snatched the cup out of Ron's hands.

"Oh my, OH MY!" her shrill voice rose into screech. She dropped the teacup as if it were red hot and held a hand to her rather unimpressive bosom.

"What is it??" Asked a Gryffindor Kakashi had not yet come to know.

"It's—It's the GRIM!" A few students stared at her blankly, along with Kakashi, but Ron's face went white.

"The 'grim'?" deadpanned Harry

"It's the worst symbol of death, mate." Stated Ron, looking at him with fear in his eyes.

"Oh you poor, poor child." Whispered the professor. A tense silence followed. Trelawney whispered, "You are dismissed…" It was all slightly overdrmatic if you asked Kakashi, but no one had.

_This isn't going to be as easy as I thought._

Still, it was good to be out of that classroom.

**Time lapse, cuz walking to class is soooo interesting, ya know? **

Kakashi watched numbly as Professor McGonagall changed back from a cat to being a human.

"Really, what is wrong with you today? That's the first time my transformation did not earn applause."

"… P-Professor Trelawney saw the grim in Harry's teacup"

"Ah I see… Listen to me. Each and every year Professor Trelawney 'foresees' one of her student's death. As far as I know her prediction of death have never come true. There is nothing to be concerned about."

_Aside from Sirius Black, that is._ Added Kakashi in his head.

**AN:**

**Alright, I know I took longer than expect. But, to be fair, NONE OF YOU ARE REVIEWING! I NEED SOME MOTIVATION! Anyways, next chapter will probably contain the Bogart, which is going to be fun to write. I haven't decided how exactly I'm going to do it yet though. The reason this took so long was I was going to put the Bogart in this chapter, but I decided to split it up, and not make you wait for what I can give. I got some good Character development done though, since this was a fairly slow chapter. Oh well. The next one should be up in the next few weeks. And remember: READ AND REVIEW something like 500 people have read this in just these first 3 weeks! You could review too ya' know:P **


	5. Because Ignorance Is Bliss

**DISCLAIMER: ME NO OWN. YOU NO SUE. I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter.**

**AN: PLEASE READ THIS! Gomen! Gomen gomen gomen gomen! I know I said I'd have it up before, but I was out of town for Thanksgiving!**

**I've already started the next chapter. But I decided to leave with a mini-cliffy **

**I wanna thank everyone who reviewed. Some of the stuff you wrote help me get over the major case of writer's block I was having. In any case. I think that you will enjoy the way I choose to do the last part of the chapter. It's a bit different from what I've seen people do in the past with this, and it took me a while to put words to the feelings I think he would feel. Next chappie will be soon, but since the holidays are coming, I can't say how busy I will be. I'll def work on it over the weekend though. **

**THANKS! **

Harry stepped forward.

_Is he TRYING to make my job harder?_

"I'll do it." There were whisperings in the crowd.

_Stupid BAKA! _Kakashi screamed in his head. _What is he doing?! This thing could KILL him._

"But Harry, the grim…" muttered a Gryffindor.

"I'll do it!" He said more assuredly than before.

Kakashi watched intently as Harry walked up to the half-bird half- horse, ready to jump if necessary. He bowed without ever breaking eye contact with the creature. The bird stood perfectly still, and Kakashi tensed, ready to grab Harry if necessary, but then it relaxed and bowed its feathered head. Harry approached it, smiling, and patted its head.

"There you go, 'Arry! Now you can ride it." Harry's (and Kakashi's) eyes widened in momentary shock as he was lifted up and onto the animal's back.

_Oh shit._

The Hippogriff took off. Kakashi could see the look of utter terror on the young wizard's face slowly change to one of elation as he soared around the grounds and out, over the forbidden forest. As the Hippogriff came down, Hagrid assigned each of the students to a hippogriff and told them to bow.

Kakashi walked towards his hippogriff, and it almost immediately bowed.

"Never seen a Hippogriff bow so fast" said Hagrid, starring. "Well… go ahead, then."

The shinobi looked at Hagrid's surprised face for a moment before walking up to the creature and patting it.

Suddenly, there was a cry of pain. Malfoy was lying on the ground, screaming, "It's killed me! It' killed me!" There was a light gash on his arm, which looked broken.

_What a loser, it's just a broken arm._

Hagrid seemed more concerned with the boy. He gathered him up in his arms and shouted, "Class dismissed!" before running with him up to the castle. After a moment, the class began to follow him at a walk.

Dumbledore POV:

He didn't really know the man at all. And it made him nervous to have one of his wizards—on of his shinobi—in his school. Yes, he needed to protect the boy, but… well, how trust worthy could he be? Even if he had been sorted into Gryffindor? Courage and chivalry… did that make you a good person? He liked to think so, having once been part of the house. But so had Sirius Black.

He carefully removed his glitzy purple wizards had and replaced it with the tattered fragments known at the sorting hat.

_Is there something you wish to ask me?_

_I think you know what it is._

_Yes… He has… quite an interesting mind._

_Is Gryffindor the right house for him?_

_If it were not, I would not have chosen it for him._

_I know but…_

_He is very loyal._

_Then should he not be in Hufflepuff?_

_It is not his loyalty alone that decides his person_

_Yes…?_

_He is loyal, and is courageous enough to be a protector of all that he cares for. Chivalry is a trait that… well he seems to dislike the idea, and simultainiously dismisses anything he does for anyone as his duty. He thinks of it as his job. Something he has to do. _

_Ah._

_Gryffindor is a house of protectors. Slytherine, being of ambition, is based upon the idea of every man for one's self. I suppose that is the reason for their rivalry. _

_I would have to agree with you. I do not know much of his people, but I have been told the Organization to which he belongs—The ANBU—is tasked with protecting their Hokage. _

_Yes, his loyalty to his Hokage seems to be his driving force._

_I can hardly imagine sending a boy so young into the world. Maybe I baby my students, but he is so young._

The hat did _not_ mention that he knew the boy had been fighting from the age of 4.

_His mind has aged prematurely in some areas as a result of his lifestyle, but he still has a lot to learn… about people and about himself. _

_I am glad, then, that I have a chance to help him learn._

_And afraid._

_…Yes, I suppose so._

**Kakashi POV:**

It was Thursday morning, and Kakashi dragged himself downstairs to breakfast after everyone had finished.

"What do we have first, then?"

"Double potions with the Slytherines" said Harry disgustedly. Kakashi gave him a questioning look.

"I know you don't like the Slytherine, but they were there during Care of Magical Creature as well."

"Yea, but, we've got to deal with them _and _professor Snape."

"Snape?"

"Yea, he a slimy git, like Malfoy" Interjected Ron.

"Well it's no use moaning over it." Stated Hermione as she caught up with them. Hadn't she just been walking next to him? Where had she gone? "We'd best get to class."

**Time lapse cuz walking to class is not an amazing thing to write about. **

"It seems we have the new Gryffindor in our class. A very _late _Gryffindor…" He did not continue but gave Kakashi a disdainful look. "…Tell me, Hatake, do you learn potions at you school in Japan?" The words seemed to slither from his mouth, oozing with malice

"To some extent, Professor." The answer was abrupt and succinct.

"Well then, I am _sure _you will have no problem with the shrinking potion we will be making today."

Kakashi and the rest of the class took out the necessary ingredients and started their potions.

"Professor," Whined Malfoy, "I can't cut up my daisy roots."

"Weasly," ordered Snape lazily, "cut up Malfoy's roots for him." Kakashi was definitely beginning to see why Harry, Ron and Hermione hated this class. Still, his potion was half finished already, this was fairly easy compared to the fast acting healing potions and pills that all ninja learned to make.

He was working at the opposite end of the table from a small, fretful looking boy whose potion would not turn the right color.

"Orange, Longbottom?" sneered Snape "Tell me, what part of 'only one spleen' did you not understand?"

"S-S-Sorry s-sir."

"We will test your potion on that toad of yours at the end of class."

Neville whimpered.

"Please sir, I could help Neville put it right—"

"I don't remember telling you to show off Granger." Snape turned toward Hermione and scoffed at her.

In the split second he was facing away from the cauldron, Kakashi darted out his hand and sprinkled a few extra roots into Neville's potion. It turned the correct acid green color.

When he turned back he blinked for a moment in surprise. Then his gaze hardened.

"20 points from Gryffindor, Longbottom" he spat "for taking more daisy roots from the cupboards without asking permission."

There was roar of outrage from the Gryffindors.

"Make that 30 points." The group fell silent.

Kakashi finished his potion, bottled up some of it and set it in the rack at the front of the room. He then returned to his seat and watched blankly as the rest of the class continued their potions. He eventually tuned in to the conversation Malfoy, Harry and Ron were having at the table in front of him.

"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Of course, if it was me I wouldn't be staying in school like a good little boy. I'd be looking for him"

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" asked Harry, angrily.

"Don't you _know _Potter?"

"Know what?" Malfoy gave a derisive laugh.

"If it was me, I'd want revenge."

"What are you talking about_?!"_

_What is he talking about?_

But the conversation was interrupted, as Snape dismissed class.

**Time lapse, Cuz walking to DADA is just sooo interesting.**

"Good Afternoon. If you will all please put your books back in your bags, we will be having a practical lesson today. You will need only your wands." Lupin said

Kakashi fished out his white and silver wand and followed Lupin down the corridor and around a corner and stopped outside the staffroom door. He then ushered them inside. Snape was sitting in a rather overstuffed armchair, and when Lupin made to close the door, he stood and said

"Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." He walked past the class and stood in the doorway. "I may warn you, you have Longbottom in your class, I would not entrust him with anything difficult."

"I was hoping, in fact, that Neville would help me in the first stage of this exercise." Neville turned scarlet. Kakashi raised his eyebrow, slightly amused. The boy was not stupid, he'd seen what he could do in Herbology.

"Now then." Lupin was interrupted yet again as a old wardrobe in the corner of the room gave a sudden wobble. "Nothing to worry about. There's a Bogart in there." Most of the group seemed to thing this _was _something to worry about.

"…So, does anyone know, what a Bogart is?"

Hermione raised her hand and answered, "It's a shape shifter. It'll take the form of whatever frightens us the most." Lupin nodded in approval.

_This should be interesting. _What was he most afraid of? He hadn't really thought about it before. The Kyuubi? He was certainly frightened of it.

Lupin taught them the countering spell "Rickulous" and set them to taking turns trying it on the monster. Neville took his turn first, as instructed by Lupin. When he whispered "Ridickulous" in a voice full of terror, Bogart Snape's black robes turned into a lavender dress and hat topped with a stuffed eagle, and Ron gave his giant spider 4 pairs of roller-skates. Before he knew it he was being ushered to the front. Harry and Hermione were next in line after him.

He stood in front of the creature, wand at the ready, as it began to change its shape.

Hermione POV:

She looked on in horror at the people in front of her, and the monster that stood behind them. It looked like a fox, but it had nine tails. The three people--two of them were just children!—Were all bleeding.

The young boy's hair was spikey and black and his one eye that was not completely _mutilated _was squeezed shut, blood was oozing from beneath the eyelid. His other eye, as well as the other entire _half _of his body was completely crushed, by what she did not know.

The girl—who appeared to have once been very beautiful—was clutching her stomach in agony the claw of the creature—the fox—penetrated it.

The man—and maybe it was the look on his face was worst of all—was just standing there. There were a few scratches on his face but he was relatively unscathed. His eye though—oh god his eyes—they were black holes, nothing remained where eyes should be. She felt like she would be sucked in by that complete blackness and be tortured for the rest of eternity.

All four of them were screaming something in a different language.

"_IT'S YOUR FAULT KAKASHI! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING?!"_

"_YOU DIDN'T SAVE RIN! YOU'RE WORSE THAN TRASH!"_

"_YOU COULD HAVED SAVED THE MISSION! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED OUR VILLAGE!"_

"_WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?"_

"_WHAT KIND OF NINJA ARE YOU?!"_

It was petrifying. It was worse than anything she'd ever seen before. When she looked over to Kakashi, he was just standing there, wand held loosely in his hand, one visible eye widened in—what? Terror? Shock?

"Kakashi?" It took a moment to realize he was shaking.

"KAKASHI!" He snapped back into awareness, raised his arm with a suddenness that temporarily shocked her and screamed—it was scary how he screamed, desperately, full of pain—"RIDICKULOUS!"

**MWA HAHA! CLIFFY! WHAT WILL THE BOGART'S SECOND FORM BE! YOU HAVE TO READ TO FIND OUT!**

**AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW! I WON'T UPDATE WITHOUT REVIEWS TO HELP ME THROUGH:P**


	6. A Demon's Eyes

**Disclaimer: It's not mine! Oh how I wish it was!**

The scene of horror changed. It was now a little baby, with the same yellow hair the eyeless man had had. The little boy was crying, his small arms flailing around. How was this funny? Kakashi was standing there, mutely starring at the child, eyes still wide, arm stretched out as if to ward away something. He was still trembling.

_Maybe I should say something… _ Hermione fretted.

Harry, stepped forward, to take his turn with the Bogart, but Lupin interjected,

"Neville, if you would care to finish it off." With the help of professor Lupin they ushered it back into the tiny wardrobe. "Alright then. Class dismissed." Most of her classmates ambled out the door, chattering excitedly about the lesson.

She too made her way to the door, but stopped. Kakashi was still standing in the middle of the room, his arm now hanging limply at his side.

"Kakashi… It's time to go. It's dinner time." He looked up at her.

His eyes reminded her all too much of the yellow-haired man's eyeless sockets—empty and terrifying.

He nodded and followed her out of the room.

"…That's a really cool wand. What's its core made of?"

"…A white werewolves fang."

"Really? I've never heard of using those." _I've never heard of one of those period. I'll have to look them up._

He did not reply.

"Are you… alright?" He nodded stiffly.

When she entered the great hall he was no longer behind her. She hadn't heard him leave.

_Does he have a… No, that's not possible._

Regular POV:

A boy ran across the Hogwarts grounds, towards some unseen goal. He stumbled on a tree root and quickly got to his feet, hands pushing off the ground like an animal's paw.

Screaming echoed across the Lake.

Hermione POV:

Harry and Ron were chattering about the lesson.

"I thought it was really cool, how that spider just fell over like that!" chirped Ron enthusiastically.

"Yeah, it was, but I wonder why Professor Lupin didn't let me have a go at it."

"Well, he didn't let Hermione go either."

"That's true, but he could have let me put it back in the cupboard, since I was next in line. It seemed strange to me. Don't you thing so, Hermione?"

Hermione started at the sound of her name "—Hmm?"

"Geez Hermione, weren't you listening at all?"

"I was just wondering where Kakashi went."

"Oh! I didn't even notice he was gone! He probably just wasn't hungry after the Bogart and all. His fear was pretty nasty." Well that was true enough. Both Harry and Hermione didn't have much of an appetite. Ron, of course, had already wolfed down three servings of chicken-pot pie and a pint of pumpkin juice.

"I don't know,.. I've got a bad feeling."

"Hermione, you're worrying too much. I'm sure he's fine."

"But did you see the look on his face?"

"Well, yeah, but I was bloody terrified when that giant spider came at me. Of course he looked scared."

Harry POV:

Finally it was time to go to sleep. He sat on the edge of his bed and stretched his arms out. His gaze fell on Kakashi's bed. He wasn't there. In fact, he hadn't seen him all night. Maybe Hermione had been right. But there was nothing he could do. The rest of his roommates were already in bed, snoring away happily. He'd been staying up late, struggling to finish the sixteen inch scroll Snape had assigned. It was nearing midnight. He just hoped Kakashi wasn't caught outside after hours and lost Gryffindor points.

He snuffed out the candle he'd been using and laid down, all too ready for sleep after a long day.

The door creaked open.

_**Drip. Drip.**_

He heard the sound of water hitting the wooden floor. Someone made his or her way over to Kakashi's bed.

Something in the pit of Harry's stomach told him something was wrong here. For an instant he thought the person could be Sirius Black, but then he realized how improbable that was. Even so, he slid his wand out of his pocket ( he'd taken to keeping it with him at all times since last year, and the diary) and whispered ever-so quietly "lumos." Light bloomed from the tip of his wand. It silhouetted the figure now sitting hunched over on the bed next to his. Kakashi was sitting there. His clothes were sopping wet, as was his hair, which was dropping down to obscure his face.

"Bloody hell Kakashi!" Harry whispered, half with relief, "you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Hey. Sorry." Came the monotone reply. With that Kakashi looked up at him.

It was then that Harry realized that he wasn't wearing the headband that he consistently wore pushed down over his eye. It was, instead, clutched tightly in the boy's damp hand.

What he had seen of Kakashi's face looked the same as he was used to, but when he looked at the other eye…

A pink scar started a straight line from just above the ridge of one silver eyebrow, and continued down past the top of the dark-blue mask that just covered his cheekbones. It looked fresh, or at least it looked fresh compared to the white lightning bolt shaped one that ran across Harry's forehead.

"Wha- what's that scar from?" He knew he shouldn't have asked, but somehow he desperately needed to know. His tones were still hushed, but somehow Kakashi heard him, and the hand not clutching the headband instinctively went up to cover the marred eye.

"I got it in a fight when I was a kid."

"Geez, can you use it at all?"

"No… It's gone."

"That's… to bad, Kakashi…"

Harry's eyelids were drooping again when he heard Kakashi shift again. The light from his wand had gone out has a drifted on the edge of sleep. He looked up and realized he was drying his wet hair with a towel. After seeing his eye, he'd almost forgotten that the boy was soaking.

"…How come your so wet?"

" Went swimming." was the only reply he received.

"Swimming? The lakes ice cold this time of year!"

There was a chuckle in the darkness. " I am aware of that."

Harry wasn't sure when, but he finally drifted into to sleep. Later he wouldn't remember that there was something else wrong when he spoke to Kakashi.

Maybe that was just as well.

Because Kakashi's protecting gloves had been off and Harry had seen—even as his eyes dropped shut—how he was holding the metal headband so tightly that his hand bled.

**AN: I know it's a shot chapter. I haven't had much time to write lately. I should get some more done soon, and there's a lot of cannon HP stuff I'm going to shove in soon with a twist, so get hyped! I'm sorry it's so shot, but I think the qualities a little better, and at least there's not a super cliffy! I need reviews though, you guys who do really give me a pick me up so I can write! Every time I read a review I go and work a little more so give me motivation I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Happy Holidays for now! **


	7. Belated News

**AN: I think this chapter was okay. Not my best work though. Please tell me what you think. **

**I'd like to say something here and now before this goes any farther. I was reading SalineRabbit's Pridian Moon (great story btw) and the AN was talking about the story and it made me realize I want to make the same thing she (he?) said about her story clear about mine. THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE Kakashi injected in the Potter-verse. There is my own separate plot which will be coming into light slowly as the story proceeds. It will have to intertwined with the plot of the book as well sp be patient.**

** I am willing to change some things so make suggestions. I have the basic plot worked out though and there will probably not be any ninja except for the Hokage and chibi- naruto involved in the current plot. There will be other nin in flash-backs though. **

**I'M SORRY ITS'S ANOTHER SHORT CHAPTER AND IT TOOK SO LONG TO POST! MY SISTER CAME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS SO I SPENT ALL MY TIME WITH HER AND THEN I HAD FINALS AT SCHOOL SO I HAD NO TIME TO WORK ON IT! THE POSTS WILL BE MORE REGULAR AGAIN FROM NOW ON!**

**THE REASON THIS CHAPTER IS SO SHORT IS THAT I WANTED TO END IT IN A CERTAIN PLACE. I PLAN ON STARTING THE NEXT CHAPTER TONIGHT WHICH WILL BE REGULAR LENGTH. **

**THANK YOU FOR READING THIS HORRIBLY LONG AN!!!!!!**

**REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!!!!**

**Disclaimer: If they were mine Naruto would instead be called Kakashi and HP would be called Hermione Granger … soooo ….**

**NOT MINE!!!!**

**:P:P:P:P**

**Kakashi POV: **

It had been a long few weeks. Every class since the Bogart had been relatively calm, and he'd managed to relax again with effort, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Hermione was beginning to catch on to him. He must be loosing his touch for a thirteen-year-old to spot him. …Even if that thirteen-year-old happened to be someone like Hermione.

He been trailing Harry for weeks and he was again suspecting the miss-ranking of his mission. While it was easy to be caught, nothing remotely dangerous had happened. Yes the Bogart had been… scary, but not dangerous.

Everything was… _too _easy. And while that wasn't something to complain about he couldn't help but feel something bad was going to happen soon.

It was Halloween morning. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. He wasn't quite sure of what Halloween was. Ron had tried to explain to him that it was a holiday that both wizard and muggles celebrated. He gone on further to explain how small children would go out asking for candy in costumes.

_"Costumes?"_

_"Yea, mate. The muggles dress up like devils, witches, wizards, ninja…"_

_Kakashi nearly choked on the piece of bread he was chewing behind his mask. "N-ninja?" he laughed. It felt strange to be laughing. Still, if sensei had been there he would probably be rolling on the floor by now. He was a greater ninja than Kakashi could ever hope to be, so why not take a few pointers from his book. He'd have to avoid becoming a ramen addict though…_

_"I guess It is kinda silly when you think about it" replied a grinning Ron, rubbing the back of his neck. _

All of the students in third year or above who had turned in their permission slips were allowed to go to Hogsmede as well.

When Kakashi sat down at the table Harry was lamenting to Hermione and Ron that he could not come with them into town. It didn't really matter to Kakashi, who couldn't go if Harry couldn't, and he was getting a little annoyed with the boy's self-pitying attitude.

"If it makes you feel any better I can't go either."

"hnnn" moaned Harry noncommittally. "don't you care at all that you don't get to go?"

"Not particularly. I don't really like joke and candy shops are that anyway."

"Oi, stop trying to act so cool. I mean really, what 13 year-old really doesn't like candy?" Interjected Ron, trying to lighten the mood."

"14." Corrected Kakashi, hand stuffed in his pockets and eye fixed on the ceiling.

"Huh?"

"I'm 14. My birthday was the 15th of September."

"O-oh. How come you didn't tell us?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno. Didn't seem important I guess."

The three just looked at him for a long, uncomfortable moment before going their separate ways.

**AN: Sitting around in the commons is fun… For wierdos who are going to complain about this time-skip :P**

Kakashi was sitting on an over-stuffed chair in the common room when an owl tapped at the window. When he opened the window the owl swooped around the room until coming to a rest right on top of his head and dropping a note into his hands. He irritably brushed his feathered assailant off his head and pried open the letter.

_Kakashi,_

_I would be delighted if you would join me in my office for tea._

_Yours, _

_Albus Dumbledore_

If this was an invitation then Kakashi was not the genius ninja everyone seemed to think he was. He sighed and made his way out of the portrait hole and up to Dumbledore's office.

He was about to knock on the door when a voice called "come in!" from inside. Kakashi rolled his eye. Was that supposed to be impressive? To startle him? He was a ninja after all. Nevertheless he pulled open the wooden door and stepped inside.

"Hello my boy"

_I'm not your boy ojii-san (old man)_ "Hello professor"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Sit! Sit! Have a lemon drop and a cup of tea. It's this new flavor that I have recently purchased, quite charming really."

Kakashi sat, but he did not move to take the tea nor the lemon drop. He remained silent for a while before asking "…Is there something you want of me professor?"

Dumbledore seemed to be startled out of his thoughts and answered "Wha- oh! No, Kakashi But there is something that I feel it is necessary to tell you in order for you to carry out your mission appropriately."

"Eh?"

Dumbledore set his elbows on top of the desk and interlaced his fingers. "There are two bits of information that may be crucial. The first is that Harry tends to… get himself in trouble. He is a bit of a… rule-breaker."

"…and how does this affect my mission?"

"He will most likely try to sneak out of the castle in order to join his friends in Hogsmede next time."

"And you wish for me to stop him?"

A grin spread across the old wizard's face and his blue eyes sparkled " Not at all, my boy!"

Kakashi blinked "Then what—?"

"I wish for you to go with him and protect him as are your orders. Nothing more. Nothing less."

This man was… really quite a lot like the fourth Hokage. Or at least he was in the way he treated his students. He treated them with respect but at the same time, he knew exactly how to protect them. Kakashi had always resented it when the fourth had treated him like that but maybe he had been right all along.

Kakashi considered him for a moment before asking " … and the second thing?"

The smile on Dumbledore's face turned into a frown and he replied "I am afraid that the reason that you became lost in our forest in the first place was that our magic seems to interfere with your chakra." Upon seeing the stunned look in Kakashi's one eye he continued "But there is no reason to worry, my boy. You will eventually become accustomed to balancing the two, and there is no reason for you to discontinue the mission. According to what Sarutobi-sama has told me about you skills you should be used to it in another few weeks."

"… I see." _And that would explain why I've been so off lately. I'm not sure weather I should be relieved or upset._

"Headmaster, the students are back, it's time for the feast." Kakashi looked up at the painting to the right of Dumbledore's head. It was a wizened old witch wearing solemn looking clothes and traditional pointed black witch's cap.

"Ah, thank you Grinda." He nodded at the painting before returning his eyes to Kakashi. "It seems we must both go down to the great hall. Shall we?" He said standing up. Kakashi followed suit and then allowed himself to be led down to the great hall.

The headmaster made his way up to the Staff table and he took his seat next to Hermione.

"Oh, hi Kakashi! These are for you!" He found his plate full of colorful sweets with strange names like "Glomping Giniwishers." He blinked, startled, and looked up at her and a smile crept up to his one visible eye. "Happy belated birthday!"

"Thanks Hermione." He was feeling a lot better now in any case. He knew he wasn't loosing his touch and that seemed to make every thing else a lot more bearable.

The four of them all enjoyed the feast. It had been a long time since he had really enjoyed someone's company, or at least allowed himself to.

He was beginning to understand why the fourth had always told him to lighten-up. Worrying didn't really accomplish anything. And suddenly his eye—no not his, Obito's eye—was itching. He could feel it begin to tear up and excused himself.

It _hurt._

That was the only word he could find to describe the feeling it gave him. It filled him with a bitter-sweet taste and it was overpowering. He found himself making his way back up to the common room.

There was someone else in front of the fat lady's frame, when Kakashi finally made it to the top of the stairs. He heard the words the fat lady shouted and forced himself into action. Weakened or not he was still a shinobi. And the words she shouted were just enough to kick him into action.

"It's Black! Come to kill us! Help me! HELP!!!"

_Black. Mission. The Village. _

He began to run toward the figure as the fat lady's screeches reached his ears. He dodged in front of the picture frame as the man brought the knife down. And, later, Kakashi could have sworn that as he did so he heard the man mutter "sorry 'bout this" but it could have been his imagination. He did know later, however, that he felt bloody stupid –oh god he was even picking up their language—for risking his life _for a painting_.

He caught the knife in his palm, the point going right through the point where the burn was still healing, and curled his fingers around the blade.

"Leave her alone, Black."

A look of surprise crossed the convict's face. And then… what—an apologetic one?—and he used his larger body weight to force the shinobi's arm back, pinning his hand to the picture frame with the knife.

He braced his good arm against the frame and jumped in order to kick Black in the side. The man toppled over and in the few seconds he was down Kakashi tried to free his other arm. He couldn't free it in time, though and Black scrambled away before he could think of a second plan.

He tried to search out the man's chakra signature, and while he could sense many others all over the castle but the one that belonged to the man who he had just fought was missing.

He needed to concentrate again. Having his senses and chakra messed up was causing him to screw up the entire mission!

The fat lady had fled long ago screeching and wailing loudly. And he wondered if her voice would bring help. His hand was really beginning to throb now. And the eye was still full of that feeling which he struggled to identify.

Pain.

No, not pain…

It was pride.

It was longing.

**AN: so what did you think? The number of reviews are going down again.**

**I really got a lot out of all of the reviews you sent me, and I'd like to know what you think of the set-up in this chapter. **

**READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! I CAN'T WRITE WITHOUT REVIEWS! **

**DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE FAVORITED OR PUT THIS STORY ONTHEIR UPDATES?! AND ONLY 40 PEOPLE HAVE REVIEWED?!!!!?!?!?1 NOW COME ON PEOPLE?! don't worry I still love you all lol.**


	8. Quiditch Misfortunes

**AN: For those of you who have been asking, yes I will explain the importance of the bogart's 2****nd**** form. The title has been changed so it' spelling is correct. And, yes, I did notice the misspelling before but I didn't know if it would affect anything else if I changed it. Lol. I'm still a n00b here :P**

**You should read this chapter carefully. Some of the details are rather important.**Kakashi opened his eye when he heard someone scream. He withheld the urge to laugh. These wizards probably had never seen this much blood in their lives. Really that was kind of… funny to him.

He looked around warily. His eye had finally stopped hurting around 10 minutes ago. And now he just really wanted to sleep.

And they were all just _starring _at him. You'd think one of them would've done something by now. There were steadily more Gryffindors streaming into the corridor. Shrieks steadily made their way through the crowd.

"Um… could someone pull this out of my hand for me?"

Still more stares.

_Well, apparently these kids don't speak English._

"Prefect Coming through! What's going on here? Why isn't anyone going I—"

_Great. Another spectator._

"SOMEBODY GET MADAME POMFREY AND PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE RIGHT NOW."

_Why can't he just pull the goddamned knife out of my hand?!_

"What's happened?" a few people pushed there way to the front, and Hermione, Harry and Ron appeared at the front of the crowd.

"…Hey guys… ya think you could give me a hand?"

Kakashi mentally sighed. Even these three were idiots. Ron and Harry were now standing frozen in place with their jaws agape, and Hermione had covered her mouth with her hand in a gasp.

"Um… hello? Guys?"

Ron was finally startled into action and moved towards Kakashi. He grasped the hilt of the knife and looked at Kakashi's bored face.

"Just do it quickly. It'll hurt less and my shoulder's beginning to cramp up."

Ron had to use both arms and brace his leg against the wall to pull it out.

Kakashi lowered the arm carefully, rotating his shoulder in the socket and then used his good had to apply pressure to the wound.

"Thanks."

"Uh Wha- what happened?"

"Black."

"Huh?"

"Black attacked the fat lady."

Whispers and exclamations went through the crowd.

"And you—"

"Helped her, Yeah. I guess…"

"EVERYONE GO BACK DOWN TO THE GREAT HALL." Dumbledore was there. Kakashi wasn't sure when he'd gotten there.

Kakashi moved to leave with the rest of the students but Dumbledore stopped him.

"Miss Granger, would you please take Mr. Hatake up to the Hospital wing? Kakashi, I will come and talk to you after I have taken care of everything else."

Hermione nodded mutely and latched onto Kakashi's arm. He looked down at her. She was holding onto him like he was going to keel over at any given moment.

They made their way up to the hospital wing slowly. Kakashi would have liked to have walked faster, but Hermione was still latched tightly onto his arm making it difficult to move. She kept on sneaking worried glances at him when she thought he wouldn't notice.

"…Hermione… I'm okay, you know."

She gave a start and then said "I—Oh. Why did you…?" She didn't loosen the grip on his arm.

He considered her for a moment and then a smile spread across his features for the second time that day. "IT just seemed like the right thing to do. Don't you think so?"

She was silent for a moment. Then she said, "You know, you and Harry are a lot alike."

He chuckled, surprising himself "Should I take that as a compliment, or…?"

"But you know…" Her eyes were set right in front of her and as they reached the door she said, "You don't have to deal with everything by yourself."

He smiled at her again and said, "I know that, but sometimes it's easier for me" and he stepped into the hospital wing.

**Foolish little reader, if you want to read about healing spells then despise me, hate me. Run, run… cling to your foolish fanfiction ideals and survive in an unsightly way. Then someday, when you have this same wisdom, come to me.**

Harry was sitting in his sleeping bag in the corner of the Great hall with Ron when Hermione returned. Dumbledore had summoned squishy purple sleeping bags into existence and ordered them all to sleep and then rushed off.

"Hermione!"

"Harry! No talking!" snapped Percy from a small distance away.

She pulled a sleeping bag over to the two boys and sat down.

"Hey." She whispered.

"So… what happened?" Ron hissed impatiently.

"Well… nothing, really."

"Come on 'mione, he most have said something!" pleaded Harry.

"He just said that it… that it seemed like the right thing to do."

"Nothing about Black."

"I didn't ask."

"Hermione!"

"Oh shut it, Ron. It's not like we won't talk to him tomorrow."

"Hermione…" wheedled Ron "Black's after Harry! We should find out as much as we can about him!"

"Well he's not going to try again tonight, is he? Especially with all of these people around. _You _can ask Kakashi what happened. I just don't think it's a great Idea."

"Well, why not?" Harry intoned.

"I don't know it's just a… just a feeling I have. Alright?"

"Ron! Harry! Hermione! No talking!" barked Percy.

**Scene Change Time!**

The day after Black attacked all the school was talking about was _how he got in. _It had called into question the safety they had all taken for granted throughout their time a Hogwarts. All day people came up to Kakashi and asked him about the attack.

About the twentieth time some one walked up to him and asked him about the incident it was Harry.

"Hey Kakashi,"

Eyebrow twitch.

"I was just wondering"

Clench fists.

"If maybe—"

"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! GODDAMN IT!"

Harry fell over onto his butt looking shocked.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come watch quiditch practice!"

The young blinked in surprise. "Oh- I—sorry…" he said sheepishly.

Harry began to laugh. "No worries. I know what it must feel like with all of those people pestering you… Hermione said that you didn't know how to ride a broom so I thought you might find it interesting."

"Oh yeah, sure!" he didn't really want to go but he couldn't really turn down the offer now. In any case he should probably make sure nothing happened to Harry during practice anyway.

**Hermione POV: **

Lupin hadn't been able to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts class because he was allegedly sick. In his place Snape had assigned a paper on werewolves. The information in the textbook was interesting, but not quite informative enough for Hermione. In any case, she needed to write a really good paper if she wanted a good score from Snape. Which of course she did.

She rifled through the books under W for werewolves in the library. She finally came across a book called _Werewolves: Legend and Truth._

She flipped through the pages and two points popped out at her:

The first was that the wolf's bane potion made a werewolf simply feel ill during the full moon as opposed to transforming into a wolf.

The second was a informational account of the legend of the white werewolf; the _White Fang._

**Time skip and Harry POV:**

It was the day of the quiditch match against Hufflepuff. He looked up at the rainy ceiling of the great hall and sighed. He doubted he'd be able to see in the rain. He gloomily munched on a piece of toast and then headed down to the quiditch pitch.

Yesterday had been an excellent practice. Afterwards he had lent Kakashi his Nimbus 2000 and given him a few pointers on how to direct it. It hadn't taken long for the other boy to pick it up.

_The white-haired boy zoomed around the field a few times and did a loop in the air. _

"_Hey! You're pretty good!"_

_Kakashi, in the midst of a dive merely nodded. _

_It began to rain, drizzling at first and then a steady downpour drenched the two. _

_Kakashi came in for a perfect landing, even in the mud._

"_Maa, now we're both soaked!"_

"_Yeah, I guess we should go in anyway. I need to get a good rest before the game."_

_Kakashi nodded._

Even though they had gone in a fallen asleep nearly instantly Harry still felt much too tired.

He trudged down to the field, through the mud and wondered idly how sick he was going to get from playing in the rain.

**Scene Change!**

Kakashi, Hermione and Ron took their seats in the Gryffindor side of the giant bleachers set up around the Quiditch field.

The game wasn't going well for the Gryffindor team. Harry had already been hit by two bludgers and few on his team were fairing much better.

"He can't see!" Exclaimed Hermione. "His glasses are getting covered in water!"

Suddenly, the Gryffindor team captain—Kakashi thought he remembered his name being "Woof"—motioning for his team to join him on the quiditch pitch.

Hermione leaned over the bar that was all the separated the bleachers from 30 meters of open air and then proclaimed, " I'm gonna go see if I can help." And rushed off.

Ron and Kakashi watched from their seats as Hermione reached the team and cast a spell on Harry's glasses. Then the whistle blew again and the team took off. Hermione walked over to the side of the arena and leaned up against the wall to watch the remainder of the game.

" Genius!" Ron cried. "What would we do without her?"

The spell, Kakashi now came to realize, was an impervious spell to make Harry's glasses waterproof.

The game went on for a while and Kakashi was beginning to become bored when someone shouted "Diggory's spotted the snitch!" and the entire section of stands filled with Gryffindors stood up. He watched attentively as Harry shot after the snitch and then wave of sudden cold washed over him.

The world went silent but he could still see Ron and the others cheering madly. He looked down at the field again and his eyes widened.

_Dementors. _

**Ron POV:**

Harry was falling. Falling. _Falling fast. Bloody hell. _He screamed. Other people were screaming too. He couldn't really understand what they were saying. He turned and started to run towards the steps, even knowing there were too many of them for him to make it on time.

Kakashi was blocking the way.

He screamed at him. But Kakashi wasn't looking at him. He was staring down at the field.

"MOVE!"

Kakashi's grip tightened on the railing. His knuckes were white, his eyes wide.

"GODDAMN IT MOVE!"

The other boy's body tensed. He leaned over the railing even more.

"NOW, KAKASHI! HE'LL DIE!"

Without a word, Kakashi launched himself off of the stands.

**AN: So, I want to know if you think I should reveal Kakashi's past to Hermione before I reveal it to the boys. I already know what I'm doing with Obito but not everything else. Leave your vote with you review **

**THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE KAKAXHERMIONE. I just think there's a lot more to Hermione than Harry and Ron notice.**

**Sorry for the cliffie!**


	9. Knowledge Gained

He's falling. And he's falling fast. Too fast. They won't be able to catch him in time.

Wait... There are two people falling now! No. Not falling. One's falling. The other one is... flying? But it's not exactly flight. It's like a slow fall and a jump combined into one. He's falling, but it is somehow... controlled. It can't be natural. Something is wrong here. But Harry— he's falling! Even if there is something wrong, something strange, about the white-haired boy's fall, there's no time to think about it. And they're both falling now. Both. Falling. Falling fast. Too fast.

Too fast to stop in time.

Now they're falling in tandem.

And the lean arms of the white-haired boy curl their way around Harry's chest.

And now they twist together in the air so that the one with white hair is the one with his back facing the ground.

It's only then that Hermione realizes what Kakashi is going to do. By then it's too late to stop either of them.

And Kakashi's back is the one to crash into the ground with a sickening, cracking sound. It's Kakashi who then has the weight of the bigger boy fall on him, knocking the wind out of him, and probably cracking some ribs.

And only then does sound flood back. It seems strange though, because the only sounds to be heard are screams.

**Break for dramatic purposes. Or because I'm too lazy and amateurish to figure out what exactly I want to without sounding like a sadistic fangirl… WHICH I AM NOT! kbai**

"Why did he do that? I mean, I'm not complainin', 'cause he probably saved Harry's life, but… I don't understand why."

"I know what you mean…"

Harry could hear lowered voices speaking near him, but he felt too sore to open his eyes and find out what was going on.

"But, jeez, that was the scariest thing I've ever seen."

_The scariest thing…_

An image of the dementors flashed through his mind.

His eyes shot open and he found himself in the hospital wing surrounded by his Quidditch team, who were all still spattered with mud from the game.

"How are you feeling?" inquired Fred, his face pale beneath his usual assembly of freckles.

It was only then that Harry remembered everything that had happened. The Snitch, the Grim, the dementors and then… a white dog. But where had he seen that?

"What happened?"

"You fell what must have been fifty feet, Harry! We all thought you were a goner!"

"We lost… the game…"

"Cheer up, Harry," encouraged George. "You're the best seeker we've ever had! We're just glad you're alive, mate! We'll come and see you later." With that the team trooped out.

There was silence in the room for a moment before Hermione spoke. "I've never seen Professor Dumbledore so angry."

"Angry?"

"Yeah, mate, it was weird. He was really upset about the dementors being on the grounds, but—"  
"They wouldn't leave!" interrupted Hermione. "He couldn't get through to you. It was like they were in a trance or something. They didn't even notice him!"

"So how—how is it that I'm okay then?"

Hermione and Ron looked uneasy.

"What? It's not some freakish new ability like parseltongue is it?"

"No, Harry, it's… it was Kakashi."

"Kakashi?"

"Yeah that's the strangest thing. I guess he was reacting to the dementors too. But it was weird. He just kind of jumped off of the stands, caught you, and…"

Harry was shocked. Why would this boy he hardly knew anything about save his life?

"So… where is he?"

"Still asleep. He hit the ground before you and I guess he kinda… cushioned your fall." Hermione said looking everywhere but his face. He noticed she was fidgeting. Noticing his glance she averted her gaze still more, and motioned towards the bed to his right. "He was in pretty bad shape. He's okay now. At least that's what Madame Pomfrey said."

He looked over to the concurrent bed. He could just see white hair through the crack in the curtains around it, but nothing else.

Silence dominated again.

"…Did anyone grab my Nimbus?" he asked finally.

"When you fell off it got blown away, and… it flew right into the Whomping Willow."

Harry groaned, "Of course!"

**Time Skip: Why? Because time is relative. That's !#ing why! :P**

It was only a few minutes after Hermione and Ron had left that Harry heard movement in the next bed over.

Then a much too frail voice echoed throughout the room.

"Iie…. Iie, Rin… iie." (1)

"K-Kakashi?"

"Iie!" The voice rose in volume and Harry realized the boy must be talking in his dreams. More specifically a nightmare.

He slipped out of bed and walked over to Kakashi's bed. After a moments hesitation he drew back the curtain.

He shook the young shinobi by the shoulders. Kakashi sat up so quickly Harry fell backwards. He was screaming something that Harry couldn't understand.

"Kakashi!" Harry yelled, standing up. "It's me! Harry" He stopped screaming. He was gripping the blankets tightly and his breathing was slightly labored. His eyes, which had snapped open the moment he awoke, were still wide. Eyes. _Two _eyes.

"Kakashi your… your eye!"

It was red. Not as in having bloodshot eyes, but the iris itself was a horrifying, blood red. Three identical shapes spun lazily around his pupil.

"W-what _is _it?!"

Kakashi snapped the eye shut.

Harry couldn't be sure but he thought hear the other boy sob from behind his hands, which were now covering his face.

"A gift." There was a pause and then he repeated,

"A gift… that I don't deserve."

**Kakashi POV:**

Kakashi had never been one to believe in any deity, but when Madame Pomfrey walked into the room right before Harry could ask him anymore questions about his Sharingan, he was pretty sure he thanked every god he had ever heard of, including a rather minor deity for lost socks.

"Mr. Potter! You should not be out of bed yet! And leave Mr. Hatake be, he needs his rest."

Harry gave him one last look before scrambling over to his bed. Madame Pomfrey strolled over to Kakashi and handed him a small flask.

"Drink up, dear. You'll be fine in no time, but that will cut down on soreness."

He took it cautiously and surreptitiously sniffed. No poison. He downed it in a single gulp.

"Now get some rest. Professor Dumbledore wants you and Harry out of here by Monday."

Kakashi gladly sunk back down into his pillow and closed his eyes. It was only then that he began to piece together just what had happened and _why _he had woken up in the hospital wing.

_Screaming again. Rin was screaming. Obito was dying. All of it was happening all over again. _

Harry, he had looked so much like Obito and it just wasn't fair.

_Obito is going to die all over again. _

He was going to die all over again, and the least Kakashi could do was repay him for saving his life.

_He leaped off of the _stands_ and caught Obito._

Except it wasn't Obito… and nothing was ever going to make up for not saving Rin in time. For letting Obito get killed. For leaving his teammates behind. For letting his sensei sacrifice himself. For letting his father and Obito down.

_He felt a dull shock as his body hit the ground, but by then his mind was already descending into dreams—nightmares—of his past._

All of this… because of the dementors.

'What _are _they, and why do they do this to me?'

He glanced over at Harry's bed. 'Eventually,' he thought, 'I'm going to have to tell them something'

But he felt too tired to come up with something suitable at the moment. So he allowed himself to slip back into sleep.

**Timeskip. Why? Because otherwise Itachi will be forced to pluck out your eyeballs **

Madame Pomfrey let the two boys out of the hospital wing at the end of the weekend. She did a final check up on Harry and sent him off. He was clearly in a rush to get out of there. Not that Kakashi differed on that point. He could easily have taken care of himself. And the only thing the hospital was really doing for him was giving him a perpetual headache due to the smells of antiseptic and various potions.

Ron and Hermione had come to pick up Harry on their way to dinner. But when the other two made their way to the door, Hermione hesitated and called after them, "I'll wait for Kakashi. We'll catch up in a minute."

Madame Pomfrey finished the check up and handed Kakashi his uniform. He pulled the robe on and stood up.

"Ah. Thanks for waiting for me." He said when he noticed Hermione standing by the door.

She nodded and opened the door.

They made their way down towards the great hall. After a while Hermione spoke. "I found out something interesting when I was working on that essay that Professor Snape assigned on werewolves."

'Wow, Hermione. Do tell, Hermione. I don't give a damn, Hermione,' was what Kakashi thought, the only sound that came out of his mouth though was a noncommittal "Hn?"

"I thought you would be interested, because the book talked about a myth about the white werewolf's fang. That's in your wand, right?"

"That's right…" Kakashi said. 'I really don't want to hear about how some poor creature got it's tooth ripped out so it could be used in my wand."

"Apparently, the thing it came from wasn't actually a werewolf, and it wasn't actually a tooth! It's a _blade_. Like the blade of a sword, or something."

Kakashi glanced sharply at her. 'A _sword. _A werewolf's fang.'

"It has magical properties. A man left it here when he visited from his country. He was from somewhere in Japan too. Isn't that interesting?"

"Did… did it give the man's name?"

"It didn't. I was disappointed about that too. All it gave was title."

"And that was…?"

"They called him 'The White Fang.'"

**AN: Hey guys! I know it's been a while. I'm sorry! I've been really busy! Thanks for all of your input. Keep it up! It really helped me flush out my writing. **

**I hope you all now have an idea of where I'm going with this. **

**A special thanks goes to my new beta reader: MelodicLilacs **

**(1) iie: basically means "no" **


	10. Cheery Reflections

"It's almost Christmas

**AN:**

**Firstly: I'm soooo sorry for the long wait. There's so many of you waiting, and I made you wait almost 3 months! I know how agonizing it can be. It's summer now though; I'll have more free time, so look forward to speedier updates for a while. **

**THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT!**

**I'm giving you two quick polls to answer in your reviews:**

**1: Should I keep the strange time skip breaks? Or should I stop doing them? For now I'm doing boring breaks. **

**2: Should there be pairings? How would you react to Hermione/Kakashi consider how it seems to be leaning in that direction already? It won't mean any lovey dovey but would allow for more tension and … dare I say it… ANGST.**

**Take a minute out of your day to answer those questions and I will love you forever. **

**This chapter starts off slow and ends with a "BOOM!" **

"It's almost Christmas!" Kakashi pointedly did not turn as Ron plopped down beside him in the great hall at breakfast. His plate, as usual, was overflowing with …basically everything that isn't good for you for breakfast.

After an expectant pause, Kakashi replied, "…Yeah."

Ron turned towards him and made a distinctly 'what's wrong with you, mate?' face. Kakashi had gotten pretty good at reading the dramatic boy's expression by now.

"Really, shouldn't you be more excited?"

"It's not really something we celebrate at home."

Ron looked horrified. "No Christmas? Really?"

"Not really." Kakashi tried to indicate by the tone of his voice that he would like it very much if Ron would back off. Please and thank you.

"No wonder you're always so gloomy then."

He had to force himself not to resort to violence at this point. "Is there something you want from me, Ron?"

He was fairly sure his eyebrow must be twitching at this point, and he hoped that his forehead protector was obscuring it enough.

"Well… since it's almost Christmas… you think you could maybe hang out with Harry today? While Hermione and I are at Hogsmede?"

Kakashi decided that puppy dog eyes did not mix well with freckles. Or frighteningly red hair. Or Ron.

Submitting was probably the best way of getting Ron to stop annoying him, so Kakashi responded with a monotonous "Fine."

His compliance worked as planned, and Ron quickly excused himself with a "Thaf 'ashi, otta ung ay!" shouted around a piece of overly- buttered toast. (Translation: "thanks Kakashi, got to run, bye!")

Kakashi let out a sigh. It had been only a week since Hermione had told him about the origin of his wand, and he had still discovered nothing more about the wizarding world's "White Fang" and couldn't even seem to find the book Hermione had been speaking about.

Not that he's had much time to study. Teachers were piling on tests and assignments as the semester came to a close, and he'd been training in much of his spare time.

At least "hanging out with Harry" would be somewhat of a break, and it would be easier to follow the boy around as his guard duty entailed.

Sighing heavily, he concentrated on locating Harry's chakra signature. Dumbledore had been right. It was increasingly easy to use chakra and now he could even locate individual signatures no matter how weak they happened to be.

He pin pointed Harry to the third floor corridor, and made his way up the steps.

Harry POV:

He was a little nervous. A little excited too. Fred and George had approached him with the exact tool he needed to go to Hogsmede and there was no way he was going to pass it up. Most importantly, he was a little on edge when a hand caught him around the forearm as he slipped into the secret passage hidden by the statue of the one-eyed witch.

Well, a lot on edge.

After all, he did jump five feet into the air (magic probably had something to do with this) and hit his head on the ceiling of the narrow opening.

When he opened his eyes again, sure that a professor had gotten him, it was instead a white haired boy who was clearly laughing at him, despite how well the mask hid his face.

He scowled. "Ha. Very funny."

When Kakashi finally got control of himself he answered, "Yes, yes it was" with a smiling eye. Then he looked sternly at Harry and said, "Although you really shouldn't be sneaking out of school."

The nervousness in the pit of Harry's stomach came back full force but he replied defiantly "What, are you going to stop me, Hatake?"

The silver haired teen considered him for a moment and then the grin that had been there before returned, "Not at all, Harry-chan, I'm going to come with you!"

Kakashi POV:

Okay, so maybe he'd overdone it with the "-chan." His acting skills weren't among the top skills in his shinobi arsenal, after all. He hadn't really needed them before. Even in other under cover missions he'd been in other shinobi villages.

Luckily the other boy didn't understand what "-chan" meant. Kakashi had the feeling that Harry would most likely be pissed off if he did know.

As it was he was sitting there gaping at him like a fish out of water, his lips forming words that Kakashi was fairly sure were a combination of rather colorful language and questions.

It was all rather amusing to him. So he plastered on another grin and cooed, "Come on, Harry! Live a little!" grabbed the other boy's wrist and sped down the passageway half dragging a still very stunned Boy Who Lived.

GaurdGaurdGuardGaurdGaurdGuard GaurdGaurdGuardGaurdGaurdGuardGaurd

"Blood lollipops, Ron? Aren't those for vampires?"

"Ah, I suppose that would make sense," said the tall redhead sheepishly. "But honestly, 'Ermione, what should we get him?"

"Aw, now isn't that sweet." A white haired boy suddenly appeared right behind Ron.

Hermione gave a startled shriek and, having gotten over her initial shock, saw that Harry was standing next to an overly cheery Kakashi.

The she hit them.

"What in the world were you thinking?" She hissed and hit Harry again.

"And why didn't you stop him, Kakashi?!" She said giving him a sound smack.

"We were thinking it'd be nice to get out of the castle, 'Mione" replied Harry, rubbing at his now rather sore ear.

"And if you get caught?"

"We won't get caught, 'Mione!"

After a few more moments of argument, Hermione gave in, and the four, having paid for the numerous sweets they'd picked, strolled out of the crowded shop and meandered over to the Three Broomsticks Bar.

They seated themselves around a solitary table near one of the ridiculously large Christmas trees that adorned the poorly lit tavern. Ron set four tankards of butterbeer on the table proclaiming all too grandly that he would pay for their drinks. They enjoyed the warm feel of butterbeer for a while until, to their horror (well, mostly Hermione's horror) The small door to the tavern opened, it's bell tinkling as it admitted their teachers and the Minister of Magic.

Kakashi POV:

Without thinking, Kakashi faded into the background. Had someone walked up to the table they would, saving (perhaps) Professor Dumbledore, have not noticed the white haired shinobi until they sat on him. By this point however, he would be somewhere else, just as inconspicuous.

Unfortunately, Harry was not a shinobi.

The green eyed teen seemed to gape like a fish as he watched a steady stream of the people he most did not need to see right then, right there, sashay into the gratefully dark room.

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi sunk underneath the table, behind said overly large Christmas tree, one Harry Potter in tow.

The conversation that followed was not much of surprise to Kakashi. The way every adult he'd met had acted when they'd spoken about Sirius Black and Harry Potter had clued him in long ago.

By the looks of progressing sadness, horror, and finally fury the passed over Harry's face, Kakashi guessed that Harry had not been as perceptive about the circumstances of the matter of his parents' deaths.

Harry POV:

Sirius Black.

Sirius Black had been responsible—no— had been the murderer of his parents.

And these three—Hermione, Ron, and Kakashi—thought they were in a place to tell not to seek revenge?

They stood in front of the dying fire in the common room. It was already dark out.

"Please, Harry, You mustn't do anything stupid," the bushy-haired girl implored.

He would have laughed if he hadn't been so furious.

"D'you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me?" Ron and Hermione shook their heads, while Kakashi merely lowered his eye to the ground. "I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. If you'd hear your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget in a hurry."

Kakashi's flinch went by unnoticed.

"Don't tell me that you wouldn't want to go after the man responsible for that! He—he left me with nothing!" Kakashi's shoulders tensed up and his fists tightened so much that his knuckles turned white.

"He stripped me of my own parents! There's nothing left for me! So why not go after him?!"

"BUT YOU STILL HAVE THEM!" The hoarse scream resounded around the room. It came from the one source that not one of the golden three would have expected. Kakashi.

He was pointing at Hermione and Ron. Harry could clearly see the anger, the frustration in his solitary eye. He'd never seen Kakashi like this, and he must have looked surprised because Kakashi then forced himself to calm down and said, "You still have them… Don't try give up what you have now to try to amend something you can't. It'll only hurt you and your friends."

Now Harry was angry again. "What could you possibly know about it? HUH?! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY THINK IT'S A SIMPLE AS THAT?! BLACK WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF MY PARENTS! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LET THAT SLIDE?! AND WHAT WOULD YOU, KAKASHI, KNOW ABOUT LOOSING YOUR FAMILY?!"

"I-I…" Kakashi's face had gone pale.

"I DIDN'T THINK SO!"

"Ha-Harry…"

"Are you going to side with him, then, Hermione?"

"I didn't say anything, Harry, but don't you think—"

"You're making a mistake." Kakashi's voice was quiet.

"Am I then? And I ask again how the bloody hell would you know?"

"Because-- because I… made the same mistake once. And it cost my closest friend his life." His face was turned down toward the floor, so they couldn't see his face. His fists clenched into balls and his knees were locked.

"And—and now. I'm begging you. Don't make me watch someone else be as stupid as I was."

"L-look," stuttered Ron, trying to break the tension, "let's go—let's go visit Hagrid. We haven't seen him for ages!"

"Ron!" exclaimed Hermione, eyes still fixed on the white haired teen "Harry isn't supposed to leave the castle and I—"

"Yeah, let's go," Harry spat, glowering in Kakashi's direction. "And I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me all about my parents!"

"Don't blame Hagrid," hissed Kakashi, finally drawing his eyes away from the floorboards.

"And why not? I had a right to know."

"Maybe but he was only trying to protect you."

"Protect me? If he had stopped Black that night my parents would never have died!" At this Hermione and Ron both gasped.

"Harry, you don't mean that," whispered Ron.

"Yeah, I do. So let's ask him, shall we?" He roughly threw on his cloak and stomped through a protesting portrait of the fat lady.

Ron hesitantly began to follow and stopped at the exit. "Coming, 'Mione?"

"I'll catch up," she replied, still staring at Kakashi who had sat down cross-legged on the cold floor.

Ron bit his lip, giving the two one last glance, and then left the common room.

Hermione sat down next to Kakashi quietly. The two of them sat in silence for a while before Hermione finally spoke.

"What was he like?... Your friend, I mean."

Kakashi chuckled dryly. "He was… a real goofball. He was always late for everything, wore these really tacky orange goggles all the time." He smiled softly at the memory of his teammate. His expression turned to one of sadness as he said, "But… In the end… he was a lot more smart, and a lot more noble than I'll ever be."

They soon felt silent again. To Hermione's astonishment, it was Kakashi who restored the conversation.

"I know how he feels."

Hermione looked at him, questioningly.

"He thinks that if he beats Black, somehow, everything will return to how it was, or how it was supposed to be. But you can't bring the dead back to life, and I don't think you should even try, even if it's only in memory. It only leads to disaster. Believe me."

"I think I can."

"Eh?" Kakashi seemed to be startled. He looked up at her.

"I think I can believe you on that." She smiled dimly.

He watched he with quiet curiosity for a while. And then whispered, "If we're going to catch up with them, we'd better get going."

"Oh! Yes!" Hermione stood and followed Kakashi out of the portrait hall. As the made their way towards the first pair of step, she watched him from behind.

"Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

"When… when we were on the train…. You passed out when the Dementors got too near, too." Kakashi's shoulders stiffened almost imperceptivity.

"Yeah…"

"You can see something when they get close, like Harry." It wasn't a question. "But you were different. It was like… you were trying to escape from something."

Kakashi turned around abruptly, "You are as intelligent as you seem, Hermione." The smiling eye was enough to tell Hermione that she had said enough, but she persisted anyway.

"And you're more afraid than you seem, Kakashi."

The fake grin faded away. "I'm just a coward. I was too afraid of breaking the rules and I…" he fell into silence.

"…Kakashi. What do you see and hear, when the dementors are near?

**AN: Cliffie! Will he tell her? What is going to happen? What will be revealed about his father in the next chapter? Will I stop asking these dumb questions?**

**NEVER!!**


	11. Masks and MistletoeW note from Author

**Disclaimer: Not mine!**

**AN: I would really appreciate it if you read whats below! But If you want to read the story itself skip past! ******

**To all of my reviewers, subscribers, favoriters and followers….**

**I'm soooooo sorry. I want you to know I haven't given up on this story! It's still being written. For those of you (which is most of you) who are unaware, I've been very busy lately. Right after I post that previous chapter my parents got sick (they're pretty much better now). Then I had a lot of schoolwork to deal with because it's my junior year. I was pulling pretty much 18 hour days for a while (I'm sure many of you understand this) with homework and extracurricular. With the speech and debate season over as well a the play I worked on I've had a little more free time. The other thing about junior year is flushing out your resume…. Which means I've been concentrating on my original prose and fiction. Please don't kill me! This chapter is very short and un-betaed so I apologize in advanced…. Enjoy!**

Kakashi turned around abruptly, "You are as intelligent as you seem, Hermione." The smiling eye was enough to tell Hermione that she had said enough, but she persisted anyway.

"And you're more afraid than you seem, Kakashi."

The fake grin faded away. "I'm just a coward. I was too afraid of breaking the rules and I…" he fell into silence.

"…Kakashi. What do you see and hear, when the dementors are near?

Chapter 11: A Shinobi's Fear

Shinobi are afraid too. Their fear is that, if they truly understood people, they'll understand too well, and the guilt of destroying other people, with the same worries, the same vices, and the same sort of lives would destroy them, themselves.

Hermione watched, fascinated, as Kakashi's eye crinkled up in to what, she now realized, was a very insincere smile.

Continuing to stride on, he responded in an almost sing-song manner.

"We wear the masks of grins and lies

it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes—"

Now they were at the doors to the castle and continued on to the grounds, moving steadily towards Hagrid's run- down hut. By now, Kakashi's forced smile had fled his face, succeeded by an almost nostalgic look.

"Have you ever read any Paul Dunbar?"

"Um… like 'We Wear the Mask' Paul Dunbar, right?" She was certain she was correct, but something was bothering her about it. And he'd avoided the question again.

"And when the world is over-wise

We known not how to hide our sighs

Better they only see me while

I wear the mask."

"That's it."

"Astute as ever, Hermione."

He turned abruptly and rapped on the door to the little cabin.

"You didn't answer my question." Hermione was annoyed. Again.

Kakashi slowly turned to face her. "I'm confident in your abilities." His smile was more genuine than it had been before.

The door was opened, and a teary-eyed Hagrid looked down up the two teens, both of which were still engaged in a three-eyed staring match.

"Er. Allo, 'ermione, Kakashi. Come ta join us then?" By the devastated look on Hagrid's face, they had missed something rather important.

**Timeskip: Please take my borrowed time and use it for meditation… Ohm……**

Buckbeak was going to be killed. Kakashi could have told Harry, Ron and Hermione that the moment they started their attempts to save the hippogriff. Governments don't care about the individual wants of their people, let alone those of a half giant and a hippogriff. Maybe Buckbeak didn't deserve it, but sacrifices are necessary for a government to function.

Still, he sat by the fire with the threesome. Harry wasn't talking to him, but it was still Kakashi's responsibility to look after the kid.

When mistletoe and various other Christmas decorations began to crop up around the school, Kakashi stopped to stare up at a large bouquet of mistletoe, and was yanked out of the line of fire by a madly laughing Ron. A Brunette wearing a very short skirt shot the two of them a slightly angry and disappointed look.

Still chuckling, Ron inquired, "Don't tell me… You don't know about mistletoe."

The rest of the day Kakashi's shinobi talents were mainly put to use staying out from under the evil plants.

Ron had also explained several other strange traditions.

Man shaped cookies? Ew. Sure he was a shinobi, but he wasn't a canibal.

Presents… it wasn't anyone's birthday.

Strangest of all were the many trees standing guard around the castle. What use would they be against an invasion?

On Christmas morning yet another of the porcupine-ish trees had appeared around his bed, alongside quite a few presents, albeit a smaller pile than those around the other boys.

Mostly he was surprised that the other boys had woken up before him for once. It had to be five in the morning.

He watched with interest as Ron held up a wool sweater, of a rather terrible maroon color. He had to laugh when he saw the look of frustration on Ron's heavily freckled face.

"Oh yes?" Ron's frustration had melted into a look of amusement and mischief "Why don't you open that one, then?"

Kakashi glanced downward and, indeed, there was a rather lumpy looking package. Giving a heavy sigh, he ripped off the red wrapping and starred in what was--dare he even think it? —a _pink_—MAGENTA—sweater. It was decorated with a surprisingly accurate depiction of the hidden leaf symbol. Oh, Gai could _never_ find out about this.

"Put it on." Ron commanded, barely containing the glee in his voice.

"Oh _hell _no_."_

"Come on." Ron jumped down from his own bed, and snatched up the p—magenta— garb. And began to try to forced it over Kakashi's hair, which had even more volume than usual due to a rather ridiculous case of bed-head.

Kakashi quickly grabbed the taller boy's wrists, crossing them over one another and then flipped onto his back, sending Ron flying to the floor on the other side of the bed.

He worried for a second that he'd hurt the teen, but his fears faded away when he heard the hysterical laughter begin and picked the sweater from Ron's hands, which were shaking with laughter.

"Merlin's bear, Kakashi, it's just a sweater!"

**AN: note in your review if you got the riddle, please.**


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